There are many unpredictable things in life. Amy Duncan’s husband Chris’s brain cancer diagnosis in 2012, a year into their marriage, is certainly one of those things.
Thrust into a caretaker role while working full-time at a healthcare products company, Duncan began exploring the healing properties of cannabis, which she turned to for calm and well-being during an extremely difficult period. Meanwhile, thanks to treatment, Chris, a former St. Louis Cardinals player and sports radio host, enjoyed four years of being cancer-free. But his cancer returned in 2016, and Duncan left her full-time job and invested $150,000 in developing CBD skincare and ingestible startup Mowellens.
After launching it in March 2018 with five stockkeeping units, Duncan decided to completely overhaul the brand. At an expense of $400,000, Mowellens emerged anew a year and a half later with 10 more products, a packaging makeover and image overhaul. Designer George Gallo redid its website, and photographer Daniel Forero captured the brand’s vibrant aesthetics.
One of the reasons for the changes was Chris’s declining condition. “I can’t hardly put into words what it’s like to sit across the table from someone that is clearly deteriorating before your eyes. We always believed he would overcome the cancer,” says Duncan. “I always wanted him to see the company built.”
Tragically, Chris passed away in September 2019, less than two months shy of the official unveiling of the revamped Mowellens in November. However, Chris watched the brand take major steps. Mowellens entered Nordstrom as part of CBD selection in 32 doors late last year. Prior to it entering Nordstrom, as she was in discussions with the department store, Duncan recalls a moment when her husband, who had lost his ability to talk and was communicating in emojis, was able to muster, “You’re a badass.”
After his loss, Mowellens’ reintroduction was bittersweet for Duncan. “Grief is such a swirling emotion. I created Mowellens, but the purpose of it flowed through him to the community,” she says. “So, when he was no longer there as my strength, my inspiration to fuel this company, I lost my own purpose.” Then, the pandemic hit—and the community came into focus. Duncan rediscovered the purpose of Mowellens.
“We really wanted the purpose to be at the forefront of the story and the brand.”
“We didn’t want to relaunch as a clean beauty CBD skincare brand. We really wanted the purpose to be at the forefront of the story and the brand,” says Duncan. She elaborates that purpose is grounded in mental health and what she calls the “superhuman syndrome” or people chasing idealized versions of themselves. Duncan says, “In quarantine in particular, we tend to add new rituals and new routines, and I think that’s great as long as we don’t fall into the superhuman syndrome trap. Pausing is productive, too.”
She’s been pausing to rethink Mowellens’ wholesale partnerships. On top of Nordstrom, it broke into the spa and mini bars at Edition hotels in West Hollywood and Miami, and The Standard, Huruvalhi Maldives. Nordstrom ordered from Mowellens in November last year, and it reordered in early January preceding the United States regarding the pandemic seriously and forcing stores to cease operations. “We didn’t have any outstanding invoices with them and we’re very fortunate because they did send an email out that, rather than being net 30 or net 45, I think they’re now net 60,” says Duncan. “In order to bring the retail culture back to life, it’s really going to have to be a synergy that happens and perhaps a net 60 term isn’t going to work for people.”
She continues, “Beyond payment terms, there are costs that go into supporting a large retailer, whether it be testers, training, sales support, events. You want to feel respected and valued, and I think that it’s very much tested in the beginning to feel the pain of the chargebacks and their return policy now being your return policy. So, all those little things are going to start to be questioned, not only by us, but by a lot of brands.”
Duncan cites Mowellens’ partnership with Edition as an example of an ideal partnership. She says, “The ethos of the Edition hotels, the focus on sustainability, the team invested and present, our communication, results in a mutually beneficial partnership. They value us, and we them. They featured us in the Broadsheet, which is their newspaper delivered to every guest room around the world. They’re selective in who they work with and that mindset works well for us.”
“It’s important to know that anything in life that is thrown at you is just temporary, and you will rise again.”
With brick-and-mortar locations shuttered due to the coronavirus, Mowellens’ customers flocked to the brand online, and its sales jumped by 20% month-over-month for the past three months. Mowellens’ products include CBD oil Inner Peace priced from $9.99 to $268.99, facial cleanser Living Cleanse for $88.99, avocado honey Keeper’s Stash for $65.99, face mask Earth Mud for $64.99, face moisturizer Botanical Dew for $67.99 and body soufflé Dream in Green for $57.99.
Duncan has had numerous investors contact her and has taken a handful of investment-related meetings. She’s interested, but holding out currently. “I’m not opposed to it. I will say being an entrepreneur, self-funded and really being the only equity share holder is a very lonely road,” says Duncan. “Right now, after we’ve made it through the second hump of launching 10 new products and rebranding, we’re really in build, grow, sell mode. And I think, if we can hold on and continue to build a solid foundation that, in a year or so, we’ll be in a really good position to take on capital.”
The CBD market has exploded and, even in the midst of the pandemic, brands are popping up regularly. Duncan isn’t too concerned with the competition. “I think the rush to get into the industry is slowing and, over the next six months, especially with COVID driving changes in retail and commerce, it’s going to weed out the players that were perhaps in it for financial reasons only,” she says. “Consumers are more thoughtful in their purchasing, and effective products, transparent sourcing, social responsibility, and brand story will always win.”
Although the CBD boom may slow, Duncan is confident cannabis beauty and wellness isn’t a fleeting trend. “Our mental health during this time and always is top priority. CBD brings our mind back to equilibrium, quiets the racing thoughts, takes the edge off, and allows you to handle when life hands you more life. COVID is just one of the life obstacles we will face,” she says. “Hemp is the plant of our generation and the power of the products produced by our hemp provides results you can feel.”
Asked what advice she’d give other entrepreneurs, Duncan says, “It’s important to know that anything in life that is thrown at you is just temporary, and you will rise again. I’m living proof of that. My husband always said, ‘Take life one pitch at a time,’ because he’s a baseball guy.” Last month, she celebrated Chris’s birthday with nearly 200 people on a Zoom call. It’s not what she ever expected to do, but it’s a signal she’s moving forward.
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